


A Babe In The Woods

by QueenOfRohirrim



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, BAMF Elizabeth Swann, Consensual Infidelity, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, F/M, Gen, He’s kind of an ass sometimes, Jack being Jack, Jealousy, Love Triangles, Love/Hate, M/M, Mpreg, Pirate King Elizabeth Swann, She’s the best friend anyone could have
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:02:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21914122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfRohirrim/pseuds/QueenOfRohirrim
Summary: James Norrington is in love with Jack Sparrow.He didn’t quite understand what that would mean for him in the beginning.Now he’s starting to realize the pains that come with loving Captain Jack.
Relationships: Elizabeth Swann/Will Turner, Gillette/Theodore Groves, Hector Barbossa & Elizabeth Swann, Hector Barbossa/Jack Sparrow, Jack Sparrow & Elizabeth Swann, James Norrington & Elizabeth Swann, James Norrington/Jack Sparrow, Pintel/Ragetti (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	A Babe In The Woods

James always found an excuse to disappear whenever Elizabeth was called upon by her pirate brethren. 

Piracy itself wasn’t such a taboo subject with him anymore, as he’d born a pirate’s child and remained said pirate’s lover long after.

However, Jack was not the only friend of sweet Elizabeth’s who had a love of pillaging and plundering. 

Once in a great while, the Pearl, which was at this time no longer in Jack’s possession, would dock near the cliffs where sat the home of the Pirate King herself.

James had found it an odd thing at first that Elizabeth Swann and Captain Hector Barbossa had even a sliver of common ground between them, but the friendship didn’t seem at all odd now. 

They had quite a lot in common, truthfully, but James Norrington wanted no part of their meetings. He had good reason to fear Barbossa. 

The golden ring on the Captain’s finger had bound him to Jack many years before James was anything more than a boy, and they remained wedded still, despite many of the personal issues within their union.

It was wiser, James thought, to keep himself and his son out of harm’s way and go to stay with Andrew and Teddy for a few days whilst Elizabeth and Captain Barbossa commenced with their visit. 

It became a routine for them.

Whenever little Benjamin noticed the black sails flapping in the wind below their home, he knew that he and his mother would be going to see his uncles.

James packed their things quickly, despite Elizabeth’s pleas for him to stay and the assurances that no harm would come to him, and then they left.

When they finally returned, Elizabeth would be sitting up alone at the dining room table, sipping on a glass of wine and waiting for the two of them to be safely back under her roof before even thinking of going to bed.

This time was different, however.

When James came through the front door of the little cottage he shared with dear Elizabeth, his sleeping little son in his arms, he found the King of Pirates was not alone.

“James! I was beginning to worry the weather would stop you.” She sat up straight in her chair and placed her glass upon the table, looking past her guest to smile up at the Admiral with great relief.

The boy who had been enjoying her company just moments before turned to look at James as well, and right away he was recognized.

Of course Norrington had seen the lad before. The yellow haired pirate with a wooden false eye. He’d been part of Barbossa’s crew that James had meant to hang back in Port Royal.

“You still have company, I see?” James asked pointedly, raising his brow at Elizabeth who shook her head. 

“Just us.” She promised. “Rags is going to be staying here awhile. Barbossa and the others left this morning.”

The nervous looking lad flinched slightly at the statement, as if the absence of his fellow crew members caused him great pain. 

“I need to take Ben to his room.” Norrington told Elizabeth before he asked anything more of their new tenant.

Elizabeth nodded and stood from her chair to fetch the tea kettle that was whistling on the stove in the kitchen. “Peek in at Henry as well, would you, James? He’s been having trouble with sleeping through the night lately.”

“Of course.” James agreed, taking Benjamin up to his bed and carefully tucking him in and kissing his cheek. 

After checking to be sure Elizabeth’s boy was still sleeping soundly, he came back downstairs to have his questions seen to.

“We’ve met before.” He started first, eyeing up the pirate across the table as he took a seat beside Elizabeth. “You escaped from my dungeons at Port Royal. You and your friend.”

“Me an’ me ‘usband. Yes, Admiral.” The boy gave a quick nod to confirm himself, hesitant to meet James’s eyes.

“This is Ragetti.” Elizabeth introduced her quivering friend. “And he’s a good lad, so please Jamie, do try and be a bit kinder with your words...Rags, he’s not going to hurt you. We’re all going to be very good friends.”

She placed a gentle hand over the boy’s to reassure him and suddenly James felt sorry for speaking so harshly. The poor lad didn’t look well and whatever the matter was he’d probably worsened it now.

“My apologies.” He offered. 

“S’alright.” Ragetti swallowed hard, looking then to Elizabeth as a frightened child would to his mother.

“Why don’t you go upstairs and get yourself some rest, love?” She suggested to him with a soft and calming voice. “You need all of it you can get, you know.”

Ragetti was quick to accept Elizabeth’s invitation to leave the table. “Fank you, Lizbeth.” He muttered to her before standing to walk from the room, eager to hurry away from James.

When he rose from his seat, Norrington could clearly see the swell of his belly, and he felt even worse then for snarling so at the lad before.

“He’ll warm up to you.” Elizabeth sighed once Ragetti had gone, pouring James a cup of tea. “But you must be careful with him. He’s not used to being on his own.”

James frowned and took a long sip of the hot peppermint flavored drink. “Barbossa left him behind?” He asked Elizabeth. “Why?”

“You didn’t see the bump?” His house mate asked with surprise. “I would have thought it to be quite obvious to such a clever eye as yours.”

“I saw it.” James assured her. “But they left him for that?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Captain Barbossa thought he wouldn’t be very useful in such a delicate condition.”

James frowned. “His husband didn’t stay with him?” He inquired. “I would have thought...”

“They do need their share of Barbossa’s treasure still.” Elizabeth explained. “Someone has to go to sea to earn it...Make no mistake, though, Pintel threw quite a tantrum over the whole ordeal. He didn’t want to leave him. Barbossa forced his hand.”

“What a cruel thing to do.” James huffed. “I swear, I still don’t know why you suffer that old rat.”

Elizabeth was silent for a moment, stirring her tea in slow circles, her eyes staring at nothing as she focused on her thoughts. 

“Jack will be here in a few weeks time.” She finally spoke again. “He went back to Shipwreck Cove to meet up with his Father and they sailed along the coasts of the American colonies together for a bit. Now he’s on his way back.”

James’s expression lightened at the news of Jack. 

“You know that for certain?” He asked, the desperation clear in his voice.

“It’s only what Barbossa told me.” Elizabeth admitted. “But I trust it.”

James’s brief smile faltered. 

“Has he been with him lately?” He muttered, though he never meant to ask the question. Elizabeth didn’t deserve to be put in such a position.

“I expect so James.” She answered anyway. “They’re married, you know. Jack still loves him...”

The admiral pushed aside his tea then and stood from the table. “Right,” he sighed heavily. “I think it’s time I turned in for the night.”

“He loves you too, James.” Elizabeth stopped her dear friend. “You deserve better, but he does love you too.”

James caught the sob that wanted to be freed from his throat and he turned to kiss Elizabeth once on the forehead.

“Goodnight, darling.” He spoke softly to her before walking from the room. “Thank you for waiting up for us.”

Elizabeth watched him go, her eyes filled with sadness as she held her cup in both hands, looking out to the window and watching the light of the moon dance upon the waves below the cliffs.

As much affection as she held for Jack Sparrow, it angered her how he tore at James’s heart the way he did, and at Hector’s as well. 

She would be sure to tell him this again once he returned to them. 

Hopefully this time Jack would be willing to listen.


End file.
